Three issues related to the 2G case, including home minister P Chidambaram's alleged role in the scam, are expected to be decided by the Supreme Court on Thursday - the last day in office of Justice AK Ganguly who, along with Justice GS Singhvi, has been hearing the cases for over one

The court will pronounce its verdict on Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy's plea seeking CBI probe into Chidambaramâ€™s role as the then finance minister in fixing prices for the allocation of 2G licences, along with former communications minister A Raja.

The judges are also likely to deliver judgment on a plea by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) seeking the cancellation of 122 licences granted in 2008 to nine telecom companies during Rajaâ€™s tenure at 2001 prices and in breach of the first-come-first-served policy.

The court will also pronounce its orders on the CPIL's plea seeking the setting up of an expert committee comprising retired judges and investigators to undertake day-to-day supervision of investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case.

The apex court had reserved its order on the main plea and other related applications on Oct 10, 2011. Justice Singhvi will pronounce all the three judgments.

The CPIL's main petition sought the cancellation of 122 licences granted to nine companies on the grounds that they were given the licences illegally by advancing the cut-off date for acceptance of application from Oct 1, 2007 to Sep 25, 2007. It said the grant of licences at 2001 prices caused huge loss to the exchequer.

Seeking daily supervision of the CBI probe into the 2G scam, the CPIL contended that though the apex court was monitoring it there was a need for a supervisory committee to ensure that the investigating agency did not digress from its course of hauling up the actual beneficiaries of the scam.

The Supreme Courtâ€™s decision to cancel all the 122 telecom licences issued by jailed former Communications Minister Andimuthu Raja on 10 January 2008 will have wide ramifications. However, the affected licensees have been given a four-month window in which to negotiate with the government on renewing the licences by paying market-based prices for spectrum.

This decision, which will affect every major licensee from Reliance to Tata Teleservices, Idea, Bharti, Aircel, Loop, Vodafone, S Tel and many others, including the controversial Swan Telecom and Unitech Wireless, has major political and economic implications.

First, since the cancellation amounts to an indictment of the way Raja and the UPA government issued those licences, it is not only a setback for the former â€“ who is accused No 1 in the 2G scandal â€“ but a huge embarrassment for the government.

The judgment, delivered by Justices AK Ganguly and GS Singhvi, is a stinging indictment of the UPAâ€™s governance record since the licence issuance process was a government decision â€“ even if Raja was the one to hijack it. Both PM Manmohan Singh and

The Supreme Courtâ€™s decision to cancel all the 122 telecom licences issued by jailed former Communications Minister Andimuthu Raja on 10 January 2008 will have wide ramifications. Reuters.
former Finance Minister P Chidambaram come off looking like weak players, unable to stop Rajaâ€™s excesses.

Second, two major companies â€“ Swan Telecom and Unitech Wireless, whose promoters are now being tried in the 2G scam â€“ have been singled out for punitive penalties of Rs 5 crore each in this case apart from losing their licences. This means their chances of continuing in business will be an uphill task.

A third implication of the judgment is that many of the licensees may now seek a legal recourse â€“ raising the possibility of a prolonged policy paralysis caused by court cases.

The fourth implication is that the licences that are cancelled will now have to be rebid for at higher market-based prices. This could automatically cause a reduction in the number of players in each telecom circle, since the less serious players may now opt out.

Fifth, since the short-term impact of the cancellation of licences is that the older licensees will have greater freedom of action in their established circles, telecom operators may be able to push prices up faster. So expect a hike in your mobile bills.

Sixth, since the list of licences cancelled involves more players than the ones the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has proceeded against, it means more companies may have to be probed by the CBI.

Seventh, given the judgment, it seems improbable that future spectrum licences will be given only at market-determined prices or through auctions. This comes as a vindication for the Comptroller and Auditor Generalâ€™s claim of a Rs 1,76,000 crore presumptive loss in the 2G scandal. It also rubbishes Kapil Sibalâ€™s zero-loss claim in Rajaâ€™s 2G licences.

The cancellations, while they have no direct implications for the current trials underway against Raja, his cohorts, and various business executives from Reliance ADAG, Swan Telecom and Unitech group, raises the issue of the moral culpability of Rajaâ€™s actions in January 2008.

Eighth, since the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram and the Prime Minister were in favour of auctions of spectrum, but were still browbeaten by Raja to go with 2001 prices, it speaks poorly of their ability to defend the exchequerâ€™s interests.

Ninth, since the judgment will cause a rethink of the entire telecom policy, one can expect a huge slowdown in fresh investments in this sector. Foreign investment, particularly, will be cautious till the policy framework is clarified.

The judgment means the new telecom policy announced by Communications Minister Kapil Sibal will have to be redrawn based on the courtâ€™s judgment.

Manish Tiwari, that Manu man and the effeminate Alvi are the greatest handicaps for a party that otherwise has a glorious history!

Their fabrications and brazen spouting of platitude with the piety of a temple priest riles even those who have a soft corner for the GOP!

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Who do you think are the better ones in Congress? Kapil Sibal, Rajiv Shukla, Renuka Choudhary or Pawar Bansal? The only lone exception I see is Pranab Mukherjee. Although, I must say that the Congressiyas have more articulate spokespersons than the BJP. Chandan Mitra, Rajiv Rudy are a shame! Can't even assert their points, if they are able to gather something interesting to hear at all.